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CASE REPORT article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Gastrointestinal Cancers: Hepato Pancreatic Biliary Cancers
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1527372
Systemic Therapy with Pemigatinib and Sintilimab Followed by Resection for Recurrent FGFR-2-Positive Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: A Case Report
Provisionally accepted
Yuchen Yang 
Jingfeng Li Di Ma Fengjie Hao Weixia Li Jing Xie 
Lihan Qian * Junqing Wang *
Yongjun Chen *- Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, Beijing, China
Fibroblast growth factor receptor-2 (FGFR-2) mutations are frequently observed in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). While FGFR2-targeted therapies are primarily studied in advanced ICC, this report presents a rare case of locally recurrent ICC treated with systemic therapy, leading to significant tumor regression and successful R0 resection.A 51-year-old female underwent right posterior hepatectomy and cholecystectomy in 2018 for ICC.In August 2022, postoperative MRI revealed tumor recurrence near the hepatic vein, accompanied by intrahepatic bile duct dilation and a tumor thrombus. Given the tumor's proximity to critical structures and confirmed FGFR-2 fusion, systemic therapy with pemigatinib and sintilimab was initiated. After four cycles, the tumor showed partial remission, with a reduction in the bile duct tumor thrombus. In May 2023, the patient underwent successful right hemi-hepatectomy.Postoperatively, she continued combination therapy without recurrence or metastasis for 19 months.This case highlights the efficacy of pemigatinib-based systemic therapy in achieving tumor regression and enabling curative resection in locally recurrent FGFR-2-positive ICC. The successful outcome underscores the potential of targeted therapies in managing recurrent ICC, warranting further investigation.
Keywords: intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, FGFR-2, systemic therapy, Locally advanced recurrence, case report
Received: 13 Nov 2024; Accepted: 07 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yang, Li, Ma, Hao, Li, Xie, Qian, Wang and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Lihan Qian, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200025, Beijing, China
Junqing Wang, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200025, Beijing, China
Yongjun Chen, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200025, Beijing, China
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